Kansas Evergreen Plants

Considerations

• Climate is a major concern when planting evergreens in Kansas. The state is in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 and 6 and becomes generally warmer as you travel south and drier as you travel west. Consequently, different evergreens are suited to different parts of the state.

Kansas Pines

• Pine trees are some of the best-known evergreens, and several of them are perfect for planting in Kansas. Ponderosa pines are the most drought-tolerant. They also tolerate saline or alkaline soils, making them ideal for western Kansas. Eastern white pine, in contrast, grows better in moist, well-drained soils in the eastern part of the state. Austrian pine will grow anywhere in the state, though it does not favor excessively moist sites.

Other Evergreens

• Eastern redceder is the only evergreen that is native to Kansas, and it grows throughout the state in all but very wet soils. Rocky Mountain juniper grows well in western Kansas but is prone to disease in the more humid eastern half of the state. You may want to consider spruce trees, including Norway, blue and white spruce, which grow in evenly moist, well-drained soils throughout Kansas.